The Faithfulness of God and the Joy of His People (Genesis 21:1–7)
God is faithful and Fulfills His Promises (v. 1–2).
God’s Faithfulness Leads Us to obedience (v. 3–5).
God’s Faithfulness Leads Us to joy (v. 6–7).
The faithfulness of God leads us to __________ and ___________ .
If we lack these, perhaps it demonstrates a lack of ____________ in the character of God.
“The Answer is ‘Yes’” Genesis 18:16-33 Bible Study 11/08/15
The key question in today’s text, which is related to the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, anticipates a positive answer. Not only is the Lord able to do whatever He pleases, but also, whatever He does is right. You can count on Him to do the right thing-always!
I. The message of coming judgment for sin offends many people.
-Abraham, Job (1:21) and Paul (Rom. 3:4)
-people of Sodom
-friendship with Abraham
II. Sin cries out for judgment. Not one wrong escapes the Lord’s notice.
-outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah
-sins of the cities (Ezek. 16, Jer. 23, Jude 7)
III. Don’t confuse the Lord’s patience with the Lord’s tolerance.
-certainty of judgment
-Ezek. 16:49 and Luke 17:28-30
IV. Observe the remarkable prayer of intercession.
-Abraham’s response
-50-45-40-30-20-10?
-humility, persistence and specificity
-the righteous and the wicked
V. What now? We are all sinners who deserve judgment.
-Take prayer personally.
-Take truth seriously.
-Take refuge immediately.
-Because the Lord’s mercy flows even in the midst of judgment, recognize His righteousness and rejoice in His revelation.
-“Now let no sin cause you to flee, or make you suffer loss, our God is free and Christ has died, rejoice before His cross.” (Piper)
-the “miracle” of mercy…
“Back to the Future” Genesis 17 Bible Study 11/01/15
This morning we turn our attention to Genesis 17 and the Lord’s communication with Abram/Abraham. In this chapter the Lord reiterates and expands on the instructions/promises He has conveyed previously. In the events leading up to Genesis 17, we may observe that Abram did what most of us have done when presented with situations that seem incompatible with God’s promises: He attempted to run ahead of God. A look back to his experience can give us perspective and teach us to anticipate God’s faithfulness in every facet of our lives.
I. Understand the substance of God’s design
-to stagger you
-to show you
II. Affirm the scope of God’s dominion
-Elohim
-El Shaddai
-significance of a name change
III. Acknowledge the center of God’s desire
-orientation
-renewal of covenant promises
-“…walk before me…blameless…”
-Ishmael and Isaac
-same day submission
IV. So what?
-Because the Lord keeps His promises, anticipate His future faithfulness in every facet of your life.
-“God loves to magnify His sovereign grace and keep us in our humble place.” (Piper)
-Orient your life to God’s presence and God’s promises.
– It really is all about Jesus (John 8:58)!
“Not a Problem!” Genesis 15:1-6 Bible Study 10/25/15
After having considered the Lord’s calling of Abram and the Lord’s faithfulness to him, our focus this morning turns to the Lord’s power and His capacity to address the seemingly impossible problems in our lives.
I. Don’t Fear: The Lord is your Shield and Reward
-significance of “After these things…”
-protection
-provision
II. Don’t Fret: The Lord is the Owner of all
-Abram’s address:”…O Lord GOD…”
-Eliezer of Damascus: slave as heir?
-Abram: father of any/many
-“…the word of the LORD came…”
-“…your very own son…”
-“…So shall your offspring be.”
III. Do Delight: The Lord wants you to know His will
-when promise and problem intersect
-repetition, clarification and expansion
-commentary of Psalm 147:3-4
IV. Do Depend: The Lord keeps His promises
-verse 6: believed…counted…righteousness
-repeated in Rom. 4:3, Gal. 4:6, Jas. 2:23
-The Lord’s confirmation points us to the cross (Gen. 15:7-20)
-Isaiah 45:22
V. So what?
-Because the Lord has the power to protect you and provide for you, understand that your circumstances pose no problem for Him.
-Expect Him to be what you call Him.
-“I am the God of the stars, They do not lose their way, Not one do I mislay, Their times are in my hand, They move at my command.” (A. Carmichael)
“Father Abraham Has Many Sons…” Genesis 12:1-9 Bible Study 10/18/15
This morning we turn our attention to the call of Abram who was later designated by the Lord as “Abraham.” Despite his flaws, this man is called the “friend of God” and is cited in Hebrews 11 as an example of one with God-pleasing faith. The Lord’s call and his response are the twin emphases in our text.
I. Acknowledge two major divisions in Genesis
-Genesis 1-11
-Genesis 12-50
II. Recognize the important role of Abraham
-role in redemption
-recipient of promises: land/nation/blessing
-designation as the “friend of God”
III. Reflect on the call of Abraham (1)
-ancient city of Ur
-a command with escalating consequences
-Acts 7 and Genesis 12:1
IV. Examine the Lord’s covenant with Abraham (2-3)
-provisions of security and significance
-fulfillment in Jesus Christ
V. Observe the response of Abraham (4-9)
-mobilization at age 75
-commentary of Hebrews 11:8-10
-a prepared altar
-a pitched tent
VI. So what?
-Knowing that the Lord keeps His promises, respond to His word with an obedient faith that mobilizes and magnifies.
-Stand on the promises and refuse to “sit on the premises.”
-See yourself as a sojourner.
-Remember your status as “a child of the King.”
“Babble at Babel” Genesis 11:1-9 Bible Study 10/11/15
The story of the tower of Babel reminds us of the futility of human rebellion and warns us of the danger of pride.
I. Introduction
-table of nations (Gen. 10)
-Babel (Gen. 10:10)
II. Man proposes 1-4
-key word: “come”
-one language…
-eastward migration to Shinar
-make bricks…build city/tower…make name…
-disregard for God’s word (Gen. 9:1)
III. God disposes 5-9
-divine inspection
-divine evaluation
-divine interruption
IV. So what?
-When you attempt to raise yourself in pride, expect God to bring you down in confusion.
-A repeated reminder: God has declared war on pride. (Prov. 3:34, James 4:6, Luke 18:14)
-Exult in the invitation of Matt. 11:28-30.
-“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail…” (Grant)
“The Ark and Your Anchor” Genesis 7:1-8:19 Bible Study 10/04/15
The biblical account of the flood tells us about a deluge of water, a specifically designed boat, the ingathering of animals and the preservation of Noah’s family. While these matters are important, they point us to the matter of greatest importance. The ultimate focus of Genesis 7-8 is the character of the living God.
I. Two lessons from the life of Noah
-Respond actively to the revelation you’ve received.
-Relish practically the reality that God remembers you.
II. Consider the scope of the flood
-logic
-language of text
-literature
-lesson in NT
III. Four flood theology observations
-Observe the mercy of God.
-Observe the faithfulness of God.
-Observe the patience of God.
-Observe the justice of God.
IV. So what?
-Receive the offered deliverance.
-Resolve to join the rescue team.
-connection to Jesus
-Hebrews 6:19!
-Because of who God is, you can have hope!
“Noah and ‘The No-Spin Zone’” Genesis 6:9-22; Heb. 11:7 Bible Study 09/27/15
Genesis 6 records the story of Noah in the days preceding the Great Flood. This timeless story is frequently twisted and misapplied. This morning our objective is to let God’s word tell the facts about Noah’s experience. The Lord saved, preserved and used him to make a lasting impact on his generation and the generations that followed.
I. No Spin: Glean the key insights (9-13)
-Noah found grace. He did not earn it.
-How the Lord sees all people: righteous or unrighteous.
-Our inconsistency doesn’t invite interest.
-The Lord is neither apathetic nor surprised.
II. No Spin: Observe the instructions to Noah (14-21)
-Build the ark for survival and not navigation
-The size of the ark: sufficient
-The typology of the ark: keeping out and letting in…
III. No Spin: Examine the obedience of Noah (22 and Heb. 11:7)
-Commitment
-Courage
-Conviction
IV. So what?
-When you take the Lord’s word seriously, you can have a lasting impact for His glory.
-Biblical faith includes both a backward and forward look.
-Holiness: the habit of agreeing with God’s judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His word. (J. C. Ryle)
-“He who does not believe God will punish sin will not believe that He will pardon it through His atoning blood.” (Spurgeon)
“Man’s Fall and God’s Grace in the Garden” Genesis 3:1-7, 15 Bible Study
We are tempted when we ____________________
God’s Word
the __________________ of God’s Word (v.1)
the __________________ of God’s Word (v. 4)
the __________________ of God’s Word (v. 5)
We sin when we ____________________________
God’s Word (v.6)
We find hope when we ____________________________
God’s Grace
the grace of ___________________ (v. 7)
the grace of ___________________ (v. 7)
the grace of ___________________ (v. 15)
Even in the depths of sin, God’s grace is made available to you in the person of Jesus Christ.
“Image is Everything” Genesis 1:26-31 Bible Study 09/13/15
To say that we live in an “image-conscious” culture these days would quickly earn us the title of “Captain Obvious.” Sadly, much of the current emphasis on “image” is externally focused and biblically substandard. This morning we will consider the “real” image as we look at the biblical affirmation of humans being created in the image of God. When you grasp the truth that humans are made in the image of God, you gain a biblical understanding of human nature.
I. Reflect the Person of God
-image/likeness emphasis
-“let us make…”
-the issue of image
-personality, morality, spirituality
II. Connect with your assignment
-fill
-receive
-rule
III. Reject sub-biblical standards
-devaluation of image
-deification of image
-disregard of image
IV. Three timeless applications
-the value of human life: image of God
-the meaning of human life: enjoyment of God
-the destiny of human life: presence of God